Shanghai: Clashes between migrants escalate
Shanghai (AsiaNews/Agencies) Shanghai is witnessing a drastic increase in clashes among migrant workers. The violence is part of a national trend which calls for a government response. In the first half of 2005, 27 very serious cases were recorded, more than twice the number recorded in the first semester of 2004, according to reports published in the newspaper Wen Hui Pao.
A sociologist, Hu Xingdou said the increase in violent incidents in line with a trend prevalent in all cities hosting migrant workers reflects growing unrest in the poorest classes of the urban population. For this reason, the scholar has called the government to action. "It is very easy for violence to erupt among the proletariat," he said. "These people occupy the lowest rung of the social ladder and they are often discriminated against by other citizens. This provokes a sense of hatred against society in migrant workers and a tendency to express this hate through violent means." According to Hu, the government should implement welfare policies to enhance the wellbeing of immigrant workers and to stimulate their self-esteem.
A spokesman for the office of the Attorney-General of the people of Shanghai said the number of cases has risen by 237.5%, compared to the same period in the previous year. Nearly all cases were clashes between gangs composed of people coming from the same areas or villages, who had come together in a bid to protect their common interests. "For the most part, violence erupted out of the blue," said the spokesman. "Incidents are usually fights over bets, personal interests, habits, or even over misunderstandings due to language barriers. Most crimes take place in the suburbs of the city." One case in point involves a worker from the province of Guangxi, Hu Yuefa, who stabbed colleagues suspected of stealing his mobile phone. Two people were killed in the brawl and three were injured. Violence among immigrant workers and against them has become a national phenomenon. Last April, an immigrant worker from Zhejiang was killed in Shenyang by an armed guard for picking up a 10 fen (0,01 Euro) from the floor.
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